The short answer
Why use Gamma?
Plain brightness lifts the sky as much as the shadows and burns it out. Gamma bends the tone curve instead, so the midtones move most and the ends stay fixed.
Each channel value is raised to a power. 50 is a gamma of 1, no change. Every 25 points doubles or halves it: 75 is gamma 2 and 100 is gamma 4, which brighten; 25 is 0.5 and 0 is 0.25, which darken. Black at 0 and white at 255 never move, whatever the setting.
Because the ends are fixed, gamma cannot rescue a sky that is already pure white or recover detail in pure black. It also compresses the tones near the end it pushes toward, so a strong lift makes shadows look gray and soft. Moderate values usually look most natural.
Brightness and Exposure multiply every pixel, which moves highlights too. Contrast spreads tones away from middle gray instead of bending them. Lighten and Darken are one-way multipliers. If only the shadows need help and the highlights are fine, Gamma is the one to try first.
Where Gamma fits
Backlit portraits
Lift a face in shadow without burning out the bright sky behind it.
Dark-mode screenshots
Lighten a dark-mode screenshot so it prints more clearly.
Scanned drawings
Darken faint pencil midtones while the paper stays white.
Start to finish
How to use Gamma
- 01Tap Choose image and pick the photo with dark midtones.
- 02Move Amount above 50 to lift midtones or below 50 to deepen them; 75 is gamma 2.
- 03Tap Apply changes, compare faces with the original, then tap Download result.
What to expect from Gamma
| Check | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Supported input | JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and browser-supported AVIF images |
| Main controls | Amount, where 50 leaves the image unchanged |
| Output | A PNG image with the adjustment applied |
| Working limit | 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image |
Gamma tips
- Pure black and pure white never move at any setting.
- Values between 55 and 75 look most natural.
- Strong lifts make shadows gray; add a little Contrast afterwards.
- Gamma cannot bring back a sky that is already pure white.
Gamma FAQ
Something missing? Ask us.
Which way brightens?
Why do the shadows look gray at high values?
Does Gamma upload my file?
Is Gamma free to use?
Why did Gamma fail or look wrong?
Related tools
More in Color & Adjustments.